1.Opeth - Ghost Reveries

2.Insomnium - Winter's Gate

3.Swallow The Sun - New Moon

      View entire list ››

1.Dark Tranquillity - The Gallery

2.Ulver - Bergtatt - Et Eeventyr I 5 Capitler

3.In Flames - The Jester Race

4.Edge Of Sanity - Crimson

5.In Flames - Whoracle

      View entire list ››

1.Gojira - Magma

2.Insomnium - Winter's Gate

3.Moonsorrow - Jumalten Aika

4.Trees Of Eternity - Hour Of The Nightingale

5.SubRosa - For This We Fought The Battle Of Ages

      View entire list ››

I will most likely look back at this decade as the dark ages of popular music. A time where mainstream music was largely dominated by talentless pop/hip hop music with less memorable songs than the previous decade. However, that doesn't mean that metal music followed the same path. While it was largely dominated by metalcore during the beginning of the decade, I started to grow to love more music in this decade for metal music than I initially did during the beginning of the decade. This was the decade where I became a metalhead, where I became who I am today and started expanding my horizons musically and learn to appreciate a lot of metal music released during this decade and that will be something I will look back at fondly. As the 2010's comes to a close, I decided to make a list of the top 50 metal albums of the decade that I would consider the best. NOTE: this list might change if I discover more music from this decade that I thought are amazing.

1.Trees Of Eternity - Hour Of The Nightingale

2.Kauan - Sorni Nai

3.Angellore - La Litanie Des Cendres

4.Les Discrets - Ariettes Oubliées...

5.Woods Of Ypres - Woods 5: Grey Skies & Electric Light

      View entire list ››

1.Textures - Phenotype

2.Twelve Foot Ninja - Outlier

3.Ihsahn - Arktis.

4.Panic! at the Disco - Death of a Bachelor

5.Madder Mortem - Red In Tooth And Claw

      View entire list ››

No particular order

1.Graveworm - As The Angels Reach The Beauty

2.Graveworm - Scourge Of Malice

3.Dimmu Borgir - For All Tid

4.Dimmu Borgir - Stormblåst

5.Dimmu Borgir - Enthrone Darkness Triumphant

      View entire list ››

I've been listening to Metal since 2005 and it has become my biggest passion in life.

Rarely a day goes by where I don't listen to it in one form or another. The bands I listened to in my teens inspired me to pick up the guitar (and later drums) and start making music of my own.

So here are the albums that have stood out and made the largest impact on me. To be as transparent as possible, I've labelled albums as 'nostalgia bias' where my memories of the album give it an advantage over others.

(Score is an average of each album's song ratings, full list located here. There are a ton of albums that I've rated 9/10 in the 'TBR' tab that may never make it to this list, be sure to check those out.)

If you discovered any new albums or like the same sort of metal, be sure to give this list a thumbs-up and leave a comment so more people can find these amazing bands!

My other lists:
Top 25 EPs (ordered & rated)
Top 200 Overlooked Albums (with genres)
Top 200 Overrated Albums (trigger warning)
So I Heard You Like Wintersun... (Time II find new bands)

Genre-Specific:
Top 50 Black Metal Albums
Top 50 Melodic Death Metal Albums
Top 45 Thrash Metal Albums
Top 40 Power Metal Albums
Top 30 Doom Metal Albums
Top 30 Heavy Metal Albums

1.Nine Inch Nails - The Downward Spiral

2.Opeth - Blackwater Park

3.Metallica - Master Of Puppets

4.Edge Of Sanity - Crimson

5.Opeth - Still Life

      View entire list ››

1.Insomnium - Winter's Gate

2.Moonsorrow - Jumalten Aika

3.

4.Carcass - Heartwork

5.Cynic - Focus

      View entire list ››

1.Agalloch - Ashes Against The Grain

2.Alcest - Les Voyages De L'âme

3.Amon Amarth - Twilight Of The Thunder God

4.Amorphis - Skyforger

5.At The Gates - Slaughter Of The Soul

      View entire list ››

1.Wintersun - Wintersun

2.Be'lakor - Stone's Reach

3.Ensiferum - Ensiferum

4.Septicflesh - Communion

5.Insomnium - Above The Weeping World

      View entire list ››

Honorable mentions:

Asphyx - Incoming Death
Be'lakor - Vessels
Mistur - In Memoriam
Thrawsunblat - Metachthonia
Vader - The Empire

Slight letdown:

Amon Amarth - Jomsviking

1.Helstar - Vampiro

2.Moonsorrow - Jumalten Aika

3.Epica - The Holographic Principle

4.Suicidal Angels - Division Of Blood

5.Exumer - The Raging Tides

      View entire list ››

In no particular order

1.Devin Townsend - Transcendence

2.Cult Of Luna - Mariner [Collaboration]

3.Astronoid - Air

4.Borknagar - Winter Thrice

5.Messa - Belfry

      View entire list ››

Better never than late, right? Order is not particular.

1.Vektor - Terminal Redux

2.Dark Tranquillity - Atoma

3.Insomnium - Winter's Gate

4.Uada - Devoid Of Light

5.Be'lakor - Vessels

      View entire list ››

1.Twelve Foot Ninja - Outlier

2.Riverside - Eye Of The Soundscape

3.Swallow The Sun - Songs From The North I, II & III

4.Opeth - Sorceress

5.Ihsahn - Arktis.

      View entire list ››

The choice was though, not only because there were some very good albums out there, but also because as you get older, life fucks you up, and you never have enough time to listen to all the albums you want, for as much as you want. Or as much as they deserve. I must add that the list could be different if I made it on any other day, depending on the mood. I would like to note some honorable mentions too, such as Witherscape - The Northern Sanctuary, Rotting Christ - Rituals, Avantasia - Ghostlights, Skuggsja - A Piece For Mind and Mirror, Ihsahn - Arktis, Moonsorrow, Jumalten Aika, Be'lakor - Vessels, Thy Catafalque Meta, and most of all Katatonia - The Fall of Hearts and Fates Warning - Theories of Flight.

1.Borknagar - Winter Thrice

2.Dark Tranquillity - Atoma

3.Insomnium - Winter's Gate

4.Trees Of Eternity - Hour Of The Nightingale

5.Delain - Moonbathers

      View entire list ››